There’s Actual Evidence ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Parks and Rec’ Share a Universe

Look, we love a bonkers shared universe theory as much as anyone, but it’s another matter when shows confirm it. A new fan observation of NBC’s The Good Place seemingly confirms the afterlife comedy in the same continuity as Parks and Recreation, and our forkin’ minds are blown.

Keep in mind that showrunner and Office alum Mike Schur is behind both series, so we were bound to see familiar faces and an overall sense of shared morality. That said, some intriguing new evidence from Twitter user “ShinraAlpha” definitively points to The Good Place magazine advertisements from Parks and Recreation characters Dennis Feinstein (Jason Mantzoukas) and Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Ben Schwartz), suggesting the two share a certain continuity and characters:

Mind you, there are a few things to unpack here. Both series have shared a number of actors (Vulture has a great rundown), including Mantzoukas. The FX League breakout portrayed both Parks perfume mogul Feinstein as well as The Good Place character Janet’s “boyfriend” Derek. A crazy person (read: us) might suggest Janet used an existing template for the creation of Derek, but that might seriously complicate the existence of Bad Place demon Trevor, who just happens to share a mug with Parks and Recreation’s loveable Ben Wyatt (and by association Adam Scott). Even Kristen Bell had a recurring Parks role as Leslie’s Eagleton rival.